To consider cabinet’s recommendation to stop progress on the western bypass and southern link road schemes which are included in the adopted core strategy and local transport plan and to approve the removal of the Hereford Transport Package and South Wye Transport Package from the capital programme.

Council considered a report by the cabinet member infrastructure and transport concerning the Hereford Transport Strategy.

 

The monitoring officer provided clarification relating to predetermination and bias.

 

The cabinet member environment, economy and skills apologised to the Council for comments she had made ahead of the meeting.

 

The cabinet member infrastructure and transport proposed the recommendations in the report and during his introduction he made the principal points below:

 

·         The report asked Council to agree to: the discontinuation of the South Wye Transport Package (SWTP) including the Southern Link Road and the Hereford Transport Package which together comprised the western bypass; removal of the projects from the capital programme; and utilisation of reserves to cover the de-capitalisation of the schemes.

·         The proposal would enable a transport strategy to focus on projects to encourage modal shift, improve methods of school travel and the introductions of better forms of public transport.

·         There would be consideration of an eastern crossing of the river Wye near Rotherwas.

·         The proposal was consistent with the climate emergency declaration and national targets to reduce carbon.

 

The cabinet member finance and corporate resources seconded the recommendations in the report and made the principal points below:

 

·         Over the previous 15 years an excess of officer time and money had been spent on road building projects that would not provide the congestion relief necessary in Hereford.

·         The schemes were undeliverable and unaffordable. Solid investment in buses bikes and bridges was necessary to deliver local solutions and improvements.

·         Ear marked reserves would be utilised to meet the need to decapitalise the projects.

 

During the course of the debate members of the Council raised the principal points below:

 

·         The implementation of local travel measures on the A49 and the relationship with Highways Agency.

·         Planning considerations for an Eastern bypass of Hereford.

·         The need to balance the requirement for economic development with ecological impact.

·         The lack of evidence to support the building of a western bypass.

·         Improvements to bus services and walking and cycling infrastructure would help to address congestion in Hereford.

·         Concern that the construction of a western bypass would result in a significant increase in housing that would be developed before the completion of the bypass.

·         The importance of undertaking measures to address air quality in Hereford.

·         Active travel measures would help reduce congestion in Hereford and required effective implementation.

·         Improvements to cycling safety were raised and the importance of continuing cycling infrastructure projects contained in the SWTP.

·         The proposals for increased car parking charges could penalise residents from rural areas where there was not extensive public transport provision.

 

There was a brief adjournment at 3.32 p.m., the meeting reconvened at 3.50. The debate continued with the principal points raised below:

 

·         The infrastructure contained in the western bypass and southern link road projects would facilitate and manage growth. It would assist in the delivery of major projects and attract business.

·         The impact of cancellation of the schemes on house building targets in the county.

·         The western bypass would reduce traffic in Hereford and allow for the implementation of active travel measures.

·         A bypass could ensure that short journeys in Hereford were taken out of the city centre and avoid the single river crossing.

·         The high cost of the schemes was raised and the relatively low value for money rating they achieved.

 

Amendment - That recommendation (a) and (b) be split into amendments (a), (b) and (c) as follows:-

 

(a)  Proceed with the progress of the South Wye Transport Package projects, including :-

 

1.    A southern link road route between A49 and A465.

2.    Pedestrian crossing improvements to Belmont road and A49 in Hereford urban area.

3.    Cycle and walking provision on and off road at A49 and A465

4.    Residential cycling schemes in Belmont and Bullingham and consider how the approved route will facilitate a second river crossing.

 

(b)  Stop the progress of the western bypass scheme which is included in the adopted policy.

 

(c)   Make an amendment to the capital programme such that the Hereford Transport Plan is removed from the programme.

 

Councillor Jim Kenyon proposed and introduced the amendment above. He explained that the amendment was an attempt to achieve a compromise. He supported an eastern river crossing and eastern bypass route to extend as far as the Ledbury Road. A southern link road route was proposed which could deviate from the line of the road in the SWTP. The population of Hereford was expanding which required additional infrastructure including a southern link road.

 

Councillor Bob Matthews seconded the amendment and explained that he opposed a western bypass and favoured an eastern route and river crossing. The cancellation of the western bypass and the southern link road in its present form was supported however a more cost effective and sustainable route should be developed which took account of elements of the existing plans. A link between the A465 and A49 was essential: for vehicles to access the enterprise zone; to facilitate a proposed eastern crossing; and to reduce vehicle emissions on the Belmont Road.

 

Members of the Council debated the amendment and raised the principal points below:

 

·         Doubt was expressed regarding the proposed amendment and the route of a southern link road and how this impacted on the de-capitalisation of the current scheme.

·         Traffic accessing Rotherwas was currently using residential roads through the southern side of Hereford, a southern link road would remove this traffic from such roads and support the introduction of active travel measures.

·         A southern link road would assist growth and jobs and support the enterprise zone by linking to the Rotherwas access road.

·         Decapitalisation costs of £11.833m would be met from the financial resilience reserve.

·         The southern link road scheme was an advanced project which had secured planning permission and for which compulsory purchase orders had been issued.

·         To avoid decapitalisation of the route it was understood that the existing southern link road route would need to be used.

·         The procurement process for the southern link road was considered flawed and the business case had not been produced in time to access funding.

·         There was concern regarding the environmental impact of the route of the southern link road which passed through ancient woodland. Further planning permission would be required for the route and network rail had raised an issue concerning the height of the propsed road.

·         Increased investment, the upgrading of existing infrastructure and improved connectivity should be considered to improve travel in the South Wye area in preference to the building of a southern link road.

·         There was insufficient infrastructure south of Hereford to support house building strategies which the SWTP would provide.

·         The resilience reserve was being used to avoid spending additional money on the projects. £5m in revenue spending had been allocated to the projects which should have been spent on existing roads, active travel measures and improved buses.  The amendment would divert money from these measures and would not relieve traffic problems in the city.

·         The amendment was inconsistent with the climate and ecological emergency declared by Council.

·         Confusion was expressed over the route of a southern link road proposed in the amendment.

 

Councillor Harrington, as the mover of the original motion, in his right of reply explained his confusion over claims that parts of the southern link road would not be decapitalised. He stated that it was a flawed scheme that would not work in isolation and agreeing to the amendment would likely delay progress to a proposed eastern river crossing. It was important that projects to achieve modal shift were taken forward swiftly to provide congestion relief that was consistent with the climate emergency.

 

Council voted on the amendment. The amendment was lost by a simple majority of Council.   

 

Council voted on the original recommendations in the report. The original recommendations in the report were carried by a simple majority of Council.

 

RESOLVED: That council determines to:

 

(a) Stop the progress of the southern link road and western bypass schemes which are included in the adopted policy; and

(b) Make amendments to the capital programme such that the Hereford Transport Package and South Wye Transport Package projects are removed from the programme.